ro Mi/eohMjIail Bnlhtin Xo. IS [ r<,l II 



organic matter that is buried beneath the surface. Then it is evident that 

 these plants decompose or reconvert the dead vegetable matter, vrhich. bear 

 in mind, would not of itself change. Logs, stumps, twigs, old leaves, animal 

 substance would remain unchanged tV)rever were not the agents of decomposi- 

 tion at hand. namel\'. Bacteria. Mnshrooms. Toadstools, etc. The products 

 of decomposition are the disorganized and disintegrated organic matter; they 

 are. in other words, the chemical elements or the simple compounds handed 

 back to the inorganic world /(»• /r.ve again as food for plants, and secondarily 

 for animals. The important work the saprophytes have to perform will be 

 appreciated when we remember that the available quantity of plant food is 

 limited and its continued restoration or replenishment is necessary to the 

 continuance <if of the higher plants and of course indirectly to the existence 

 of animals even including man. 



The gents My-ce'-na. — These plants are mostly small white-spored 

 Agarics. They are very numerous and so are their near relations, thus even 

 the specialist might despair of really knowing all of them. They resemble 

 some of the other genera very strongly and (mly careful study will result in 

 positive identiticatiou. The genus My-ce'-na is closely related to Col-lyb'-i-a, 

 says Atkinson. The plants are usually smaller, many of them being of small 

 size; the cap is usually bell-shaped, rarely umbilicate [that is, with a small 

 abrupt depression at top], but what is a more important character the mar- 

 gin of the cap in the young stage is straight as it is applied against the stem 

 and not at first incurved as it is in CoUijbia. when the gills and margin of the 

 pileus lie against the steui. The stem is cartilaginous as in Colli/hia and is 

 usually hollow. The gills are not decurrent or only slightly so by a tooth- 

 like process. Some of the species are apt to be confused with certain species 

 of Otn-pha'-Ii-a in which the gills are but slightly decurrent. but in Oniphalia 

 the pileus is umbilicate in such species, while in Mijccna it is blunt or um- 

 bonate. Some of those which grow on leaves might l)e mistaken for species 

 of Jf«-r«.>^'-y»^/^s•. but in the latter the plants are of tough consistency, and 

 when dried will revive again if moistened. In the above manner a specialist 

 state-i the case but the apparent ditEculty should not bring discouragement — 

 an abundance of material will be favorable for repeated study of common 

 forms that are encountered. 



The Phal'-loips, or Stink-Horn Fungi. — It has been previously ex- 

 plained that two of the larger and important groups of Fungi are the As'-co- 

 nni-ce'-tae and the Basid'-i-o-nnj-ce'-tac; the lormer having spores produced 

 in an enlarged cell, called an as' -ens, and the latter bearing the spores ou ped- 

 icels growing out of an enlarged cell, called a ha-sid'-i-um. The species of 

 Pe-zi'-za for example, lielong to As'-co-my-ce'-tae; and the Puii'l>alls, I'hal- 

 loids. and .\garics are nuMubers of the group Ba-sid'-i-o-my-ce'-tae. 



These microscopic characters might l)e passed l)y for the present or lor all 

 time, no doubt some beginners and amateurs are inclined to think, yet our 

 knowledge of the multitudes of Fungi will be quite imperfect and our progress 

 in their study much impeded if we do not fully apprehend what is so funda- 

 mental in their classification. Then to proceed — The Ba-sid'-i-o-niv-ce'-tae 

 includes the tw(t Orders: represented by the Putfballs and tJie I'halloids, 

 which the botanists call (ias'-tcr-o-iinj-cc'-tar; and the Mushrooms or Agarics 

 and their relatives designated, in botanical langu.-ige, as the ll'i/'-)iii)i-o- 

 ntij-Cf' tae. 



It can be seen from the above where our Stink-horn Fungi or Phalloids 

 belong ill the Vegetable Kingdom. And to make the matter more emphatic, 

 recur to the fact that the (1as'-trr-o-ii/ii-<'r'-/a( li.ive their spore-bearing layer 

 of tissue (which is called the ////-///'■'-///-«(/() enclosed liy a wall or covering, 

 that is, a y>c-r/f/'-/-Hw whicli does not rupture befoi-c the maturity of the 

 spores. But in case (tf the Hii'-)iic\i-o-iini-c< '-tac. the spore-l)earing layer 

 (liil-nir'-ni-Hiti) is borne on a free outer surface — as seen in the "gills" in 

 Musiironms, ttc. The "veil" thatiu some cases covers the spore-be.aring por- 

 tion of the common Mushrooms is a false pe-rid-i-nin. "iiseudo-pcridimn," 

 a;id ruptures liefore the maturity of the spores. 



Kavenel's Phalloid. — This species is rather common, especially about 

 old saw-dust ])iles and its vile odor easily identities the Stink-horu. Stages 

 in its dcvelopcnii'nt aie shown in tiu.'. (!."). 



